Role Of Ct In Diagnosis Of Thoracic Aortic Diseases:

Hesham El-said Hasan El-sheikh

Normal anatomy of the mediastinum, technique of CTexamination, pathology, clinical presentation of the patients and CTfmdings of thoracic aortic diseases were discussed.In. this study 14 cases with clinical or plain radiographic fmdingssuggestive of thoracic aortic disease. They were 12 males and 2females with their ages ranged from 6 to 62 years.Most cases were subjected to full clinical examination and plainches radiography (postero-anterior and lateral views) followed by CTscan with dynamic contrast or helical study for all cases. Supplementalradiographic technique as barium study was also used.Thoracic aortic diseases are classified into three groups:- Aortic atherosclerosis, 2 cases: atheromatous dilatation of the thoracicaorta.- Thoracic aortic aneurysms, 9 cases: comprised cases of discendingthoraic aortic aneurysm (2 cases), ascending aortic aneurysm, aorticdissection (4 cases) and left subclavian aneurysm (2 cases).- Congenital anomalies of the thoracic aorta, 3 cases:- Comprised corrected transposition of the great vessels, right aorticarch and aortic coarctation.